USS ILLUSIVE (MSO-448)

After
shakedown and individual ship training out of Long Beach during 1954, the ship entered Long Beach shipyard for extensive modifications October 1954
to February 1955. 'She was
reclassified M'SO-i48 7 February 1955. 'She continued to operate out of
Long Beach, taking part in a major Pacific
Fleet training exercise in November
1955. For the next year she trained in California waters.

Illusive again entered the yard in November 1956, this time to replace her
engines with experimental Packard models, and until May 1957 was engaged in engineering evaluation trials. She
then sailed for her first deployment to the Far East 1 August 1957. Through December she took part in the vital
operations of the 7th Fleet for the maintenance of peace and security in East
Asia. She took
part in joint exercises with Japanese naval units 6-9 October and with the
Chinese Nationalist Navy 15 to 17 December 1957. Illusive returned to
Long Beach 15 February 1958.

The
remainder of 1958 was spent in training operations out of Long Beach. In 1959
she remained in California waters, and took part in a large amphibious exercise
off Camp
Pendleton. Illusive then made ready for her second deployment to the
western Pacific, sailing 8 January 1960 for Japan. During this critical period, in which American Navy ships were
increasingly active in helping to prevent Communist takeover of the countries of 'Southeast Asia, the
minesweeper carried out maneuvers off Japan, the Philippines, and Okinawa. Illusive returned
to Long
Beach 19 July 1960.

The
year 1961 saw the ship return to the Far East. She sailed 24 August, and
operated in the Philippines as well as out of Guam and Formosa. She moved to Sattahib, Thailand, 25 November, as
American ships demonstrated support for that nation, and in December visited Bangkok. Thailand, and Saigon,
capital of the struggling Republic of 'South Vietnam. During this period Illusive conducted training exercises
with several Southeast Asian navies. She was particularly active in training South Vietnamese officers and
men until sailing for Long Beach 3 March 1962.

The
veteran ship returned to the far Pacific in August 1963 and after stopping at
island bases along the way arrived Sasebo 23 September. In the months that
followed Illusive
took
part in 7th Fleet training with Korean, Nationalist Chinese and Japanese minesweepers. 'She returned to Long Beach 7
March 1964 for yard overhaul, followed by refresher training off the coast of southern California.

On
13 August 1965 Illusive departed Long Beach for training in the Pacific
that took her to Hawaii, the Marshalls, the Marianas, and the Philippines. She stood out of 'Subic Bay 2 October 1965 to join the
"Market Time Patrol" vigilantly
trying to stop the coastal flow of contraband by junks and boats to Vietcong
the full length of Vietnam's 1,000-mile coastline. Her patrol service may
include acting as a mother ship for replenishing the needs of "Swift"
boats, providing gunfire support to U.S. forces ashore, or conducting a
hydrographic survey on shoreline depths, in addition to patrolling thousands of
miles within the
inspection zone to intercept Vietcong men and supplies. Illusive continued this vital duty
until she turned homeward in February 1966. The minesweeper reached Long Beach 28 April. She
operated along the West Coast for the remainder of 1966 and into 1967.

[Note: The above USS ILLUSIVE (MSO-448) history may, or may not, contain text provided by crew members of the USS ILLUSIVE (MSO-448), or by other non-crew members, and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]

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